Buoyant Movable Subfloor for Safe Swimming Pool Depth Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing swimming pools with movable floors face challenges in daily maintenance, safety, and efficiency due to hydraulic systems that require high energy and are not safe for supporting high loads when fully raised, and manual deployment of vacuum cleaners.
Innovation Solution
A swimming pool with an adjustable depth featuring a movable subfloor composed of a floating body that utilizes buoyancy for easy movement, supported by a cable and belt system actuated by an electric motor, allowing for efficient depth adjustment and safe walking surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If hydraulic systems are used to raise the movable floor, then the floor can be moved upwardly, but the system requires large amounts of energy and cannot support high loads when fully raised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies buoyancy as a counterweight force to support the movable floor. The floor is designed to float on water, utilizing the buoyant force to counterbalance its weight. This eliminates the need for high-energy hydraulic systems to hold the floor in position, as the buoyant force naturally supports the floor without continuous energy input. The system transitions from active hydraulic support to passive buoyant support, dramatically reducing energy consumption.
2Ease of operation
If hydraulic systems are used to raise the movable floor, then the floor can be moved upwardly, but the system is not safe for supporting high loads when fully raised
Solution Approach 1:
By designing the floor to float on water, the system utilizes buoyancy to provide inherent structural support. The buoyant force distributed across the water-contacting surface of the floor creates a stable, load-bearing platform that can safely support human weight and maintenance equipment. This passive support system is inherently more reliable than hydraulic systems, as it does not depend on powered actuators or seals that can fail under load.
3Ease of manufacture
If manual deployment of vacuum cleaners is used for maintenance, then equipment can be deployed, but it leaves the user with undue burden
Solution Approach 1:
The movable floor system enables self-service maintenance by allowing the floor itself to be easily moved into position for cleaning operations. The floor can be manually lowered to the pool bottom or raised to the surface, providing convenient access for vacuuming and other maintenance tasks. This eliminates the undue burden of complex manual deployment mechanisms, as the floor's own mobility becomes the maintenance tool.
4Length of stationary object
If a separate floor is pushed upwardly by hydraulics, then the floor can be raised above water surface level, but it may not allow for support high loads
Solution Approach 1:
The floor is designed to float on water rather than being pushed by hydraulics. The buoyant force provides continuous, distributed support across the entire floor surface, creating a stable platform capable of supporting high loads including multiple people and maintenance equipment. The floating mechanism naturally adjusts to load distribution, providing superior load-bearing capacity compared to point-contact hydraulic actuators.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides easier maintenance, safer operation, and more efficient depth adjustment with reduced energy consumption, enabling stable walking surfaces and preventing water overflow during use.
Implementation Method 1
Since the movable subfloor comprises at least one floating body, moving the movable subfloor upwardly will typically require less force, since the buoyancy of the movable subfloor may be utilized
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 1c
Figure 2
AI summary
The present invention is related to a swimming pool, in particular a swimming pool having an adjustable depth, comprising one or more side walls and a bottom wall, the one or more side walls and the bottom wall together defining a retaining space for holding a predefined level of water, a movable subfloor accommodated in the retaining space, comprising at least one floating body providing a buoyancy to the movable subfloor, an actuating system, wherein the actuating system is directly or indirectly attached to a bottom side of the movable subfloor via at least one cable and/or at least one belt, wherein the actuating system is configured for moving the movable subfloor. The invention is further related to a movable subfloor system for use in a swimming pool.